Evaluation Criteria for Small Business Champion Awards
What are the evaluation/selection criteria for the Small Business Champion awards?

Each of the above awards has specific evaluation criteria which are listed below for each award: 

Small Business Exporter
  1.  Increased sales, profits and/or growth of employment because of exporting.
  2. Creative overseas marketing strategies.
  3. Effective solutions to export-related problems.
  4. Demonstrated encouragement of other small businesses to export.
  5. Volunteer assistance to other small businesses entering the export market.
  6. Cooperation with other businesses in the creation of export trading companies and/or introduction of unique trading relationships, products or services.
SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year
  1. Evidence of success as measured by sales and profits.
  2. Increased employment opportunities created by the nominee’s business.
  3. Development and/or utilization of innovative or creative business methods.
  4. Demonstrated entrepreneurial potential necessary for long-term business success and economic growth.
Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year
  1. Evidence of success as measured by sales and profits.
  2. Increased employment opportunities for family members and non-family members for the nominee’s business.
  3. Demonstrated potential necessary for long-term business success and economic growth.
  4. Voluntary efforts to strengthen family-owned businesses within the community.
Financial Services Champion of the Year
  1. Outside of regular business duties, the amount and quality of assistance given small businesses to obtain financing.
  2. Advocacy for changes in the financial services industry to assist small companies.
  3. Encouragement of the flow of investment capital to small ventures.
  4. Active support for legislative or regulatory action designed to help small firms.
  5. Other significant contributions through the advocacy efforts of the financial services or accounting industries to advance small business interests.
Home-Based Business Champion of the Year
  1. Volunteer time and energy to improve the conditions for home-based businesses.
  2. Engage in entrepreneurial training, policy development efforts, or financial or business planning specifically tailored for home-based businesses.
  3. Demonstrated interest in home-based businesses by an owner or former owner.
  4. Measurable accomplishments in advancing home-based businesses, such as adoption of public policy or expansion of a program.
Minority Small Business Champion of the Year
  1. Volunteer efforts beyond business/professional responsibilities to advance minority small business interests within the community, state and/or nation.
  2. Demonstrated efforts to improve conditions in the minority small business community as a whole, not solely for individual personal advancement.
  3. Voluntary provision of professional services to the minority small business community in a legal, legislative, managerial or financial capacity.
  4. Demonstrated accomplishments in advising minority small business groups of opportunities within the overall business community.
  5. Other accomplishments demonstrating the nominee’s merit as an effective advocate for minority small business interests.
Small Business Journalist of the Year
  1. Concerted efforts to increase public understanding of the importance of small business contributions to the economy.
  2. Contribution of news and feature stories, editorials, columns and commentary that highlight and analyze small business issues.
  3. Voluntary community service aimed at enhancing small business opportunity and growth.
  4. Other achievements that exemplify the nominee’s media efforts to improve the understanding of the role of small business in the U.S. economy.
Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year
  1. Active support for legislative or regulatory action designed to help small businesses.
  2. Evidence of increased business opportunities for veterans as a result of the nominee’s actions.
  3. Advisory activities to improve awareness of small business opportunities among veterans’ groups.
  4. Advocacy of special consideration for veteran-owned small businesses in government policymaking.
  5. Demonstrated success in obtaining support within the community for the establishment of veteran-owned small businesses.
  6. Other accomplishments demonstrating the nominee’s effective advocacy of veteran-owned small businesses.
Women in Business Champion of the Year
  1. Active support for legislative or regulatory action designed to help small businesses.
  2. Efforts to increase business and financial opportunities for women.
  3. Legal, financial or managerial assistance provided to enhance women’s business ownership.
  4. Voluntary efforts to strengthen the role of women business owners within the community.
  5. Advocacy of the women-owned business community as a whole, not solely for individual personal advancement.
  6. Other accomplishments demonstrating effectiveness in improving the environment for the creation and expansion of businesses owned and operated by women.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 14 October 2009 )